2025 Award "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"

The "Neighbor Attention Center (CAV) of the City of San Juan" was an initiative by the municipal government to improve interaction between local authorities and citizens, facilitating the management and resolution of complaints and requests related to public spaces and urban services. Launched in July 2020, the project initially began with a manual process in which residents made complaints via telephone, which were then written down in a notebook and forwarded to the relevant departments. Over time, this process was optimized through the use of shared Google Drive spreadsheets, allowing involved departments to view the status of complaints in real time.

In early 2024, a significant step was taken with the implementation of the "Complaint System," a digital platform that automated the forwarding of complaints to the responsible departments, significantly speeding up response times and resolution. Additionally, residents were able to access the municipal website to track the status of their requests in real time, enhancing transparency and trust in the local government.

The CAV is open to all citizens and visitors of the city, regardless of age or status, as multiple communication channels were enabled: telephone, WhatsApp, web form, and in-person assistance. This inclusive approach ensured that all residents had equal opportunities to submit their complaints and requests.

The project has had a positive impact on the quality of life for residents, benefiting citizens from all four districts of the city (Desamparados, Trinidad, Concepción, and Centro). Additionally, the practice has had a significant impact on the improvement of public policies and the efficiency of the municipal administration. The integration of the practice into the "Strategic Plan for Modernization and Digital Transformation of the City of San Juan 2024 - 2027," approved by the City Council, ensures its long-term sustainability, establishing it as a public policy that transcends changes in government.

Thanks to this approach of continuous improvement, based on feedback from both residents and the involved staff, the CAV has become a model of citizen participation and administrative efficiency, contributing to citizen participation processes.

For more information:

• https://municipiosanjuan.gob.ar/servicios/centro-atencion-al-vecino (External link)
• https://www.oidp.net/docs/repo/doc1635.pdf (External link)